States Rated on Human Trafficking Protections

In the U.S., the number of people trafficked is difficult to estimate, but the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says that approximately 100,000 children in the United States are forced into sex trafficking every year. In addition to children, women and men in the U.S. are also taken and forced into work against their will all the time.

The Polaris Project 2013 ratings of the 50 U.S. states in terms of their anti-trafficking laws and the protections they afford to victims shows that 39 U.S. states have passed legislation against human trafficking this year. This means that for the first time, a majority of states have substantial laws to battle this egregious practice. It also shows that the five worst states are South Dakota, New Hampshire, Delaware, Colorado, and Utah.